Working Conditions Act, NEN 3140 and NEN 1010: what is what?

With all those laws and standards, it is easy to lose the forest for the trees. We therefore regularly receive questions about the application of the various laws and regulations with regard to the projection, installation and maintenance of emergency lighting. We would like to list the most important differences and applications of the standards NEN 3140 and NEN 1010 and their relationship to the Working Conditions Act.

Working Conditions Act and NEN 3140

In the context of the Working Conditions Act, companies must ensure that their employees can work safely. Working on or near electrical installations can entail certain risks. The risks can be limited to a shock, but also extend to combustion, fire or even explosion. The NEN 3140 standard has been developed for this, the standard for "operation of electrical installations - low voltage." If technicians carry out work on electrical low-voltage installations in accordance with NEN 3140, this will be accepted by an inspector of the Social Affairs and Employment Inspectorate (in short, "Inspectorate SZW", formerly "Labor Inspectorate"). They then comply with the relevant legal obligations of the Working Conditions Decree, part of the Working Conditions Act.

NEN 3140 and NEN 1010

But what about the NEN 3140 and NEN 1010? Both are well-known standards within the installation industry, but the difference between these standards is often less known. Easy said; the NEN 3140 is about the way in which installers deal with electrical low-voltage installations. The NEN 1010 concerns the requirements for the design and construction of the installation itself. NEN 1010 contains the agreements regarding the minimum safety requirements for low-voltage installations in residential, non-residential and industrial buildings in order to be able to comply with the Building Decree.

If you have any questions about this, we are of course always there for you. In addition, it is possible to register you and your colleagues for one of the training courses of the Emergency Lighting Knowledge Center. There, legislation and regulations are extensively discussed with both theory and practical examples. View here which training courses may be of interest to you.